The stock market, like a farmers’ market, is where shoppers and vendors meet to buy and sell products. A brokerage firm is the middleman that ensures an orderly operation of the marketplace and provides investors with research, data, tools, and analysis to help them make smart decisions. While it’s possible to trade stocks on your own, the technical difficulties and complexity of the market necessitate having a broker.

Best Stock Brokers Australia offer a wide range of trading features, but not all are created equal. Some are more well-rounded than others, with high-quality customer service, fast trade execution, comprehensive yet user-friendly stock trading platforms, free investment research, and a large selection of investments. The best online brokers offer all of those things and more.

Best Stock Brokers in Australia: Trade Stocks with Confidence

Choosing the right broker also depends on what type of investor you are. If you want to trade currencies (forex), options, or equities on markets outside of Australia, be sure your broker offers those services.

Some of the cheapest online brokers are also some of the best, with low or no trade commissions and a great user experience. Sharesies, for example, is an up-and-coming new player in the Australian market that focuses on getting young people involved in shares by offering one of the lowest minimum buy amounts ($100 AUD) and trading fees (free ASX trades, $3 AUD on international). This is made possible because they use a custodial model rather than a HIN, so you have direct ownership of your shares with the ASX.